Sun advice from a skin cancer researcher and physician

There is certainly growing awareness of the damaging effects of overexposure to the sun, including skin cancers.

Still, I see in both my medical practice as a skin cancer specialist and in the course of my research as an associate professor of oncology that there are still many harmful habits and ideas about tanning that still circulate.

As a result, many may think they’re already doing enough to look after themselves and their families when the incidence of skin cancer is actually growing. Clearly, we need to do more to stay safe, and that starts with knowledge.

Perhaps someday, we will look at lying on a beach slathered with oil in the same way we look at smoking cigarettes. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is also a carcinogen and, like smoking, is a modifiable risk factor for cancer.

Here are some sun facts to think about and act on:

• Being outdoors and in the shade is better than being in the direct sun, but even in the shade, one is still exposed to damaging UV rays, especially if there are nearby reflective surfaces, such as water or sand.

• Sun protection is necessary all year round. Damage can happen when people think July and August are the only months when it’s necessary to pay attention to sun exposure. Hauling out the bike during a winter thaw? Protect yourself. Spring gardening or fall raking and it’s only 10 degrees outside? It’s time for some protection. Check your local weather forecast for the UV index; if it’s three or greater, wear sunscreen.

• Sun exposure is cumulative over the course of a lifetime. If you had too much sun as a child or young adult, it’s even more important to protect yourself over the entire course of your adult life. Having two blistering sunburns as a child or young adult increases the lifetime chance of developing the most harmful form of skin cancer, melanoma, by 10 times.

• Any suntan or sunburn is evidence of sun damage. Developing a tan is the body’s response to harm to the DNA of cells in our skin. The persistent idea of a “healthy tan” is simply incorrect. When I see someone tanning, I see a future with premature wrinkles and risk of skin cancers, including melanoma. A burn is far more damaging. Avoid both.

• While fair-skinned people with red or blonde hair and blue or green eyes are the most susceptible to serious harm from the sun, all people, regardless of their skin, hair or eye colour, are vulnerable and should limit exposure.

• Sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 50, applied every two to three hours, starting 30 minutes before exposure, is the most practical protection for exposed skin. Pick something you like, whether a lotion, stick or spray, and be sure to use enough. Reapply more often when you are very active outdoors, and hourly if in water. Remember when applying sunscreen to protect your feet, which is easy to forget in flip flops. I see a lot of ears and back of necks get missed as well!

• Wear a hat, of course, but also choose your hat carefully. Ball caps leave the ears and neck too exposed. The best hats have broad brims that go all the way around the head. The very best hats have a flap in the back that covers the neck.

• It is possible to experience sun damage even through your clothes. Special SPF clothing, made from purposely formulated material and labelled as such, is optimal for reducing sun exposure. A white cotton summer T-shirt offers an SPF of maybe four or five — a small fraction of the protection a good sunscreen or SPF clothing will provide.

• Though sun exposure does provide beneficial Vitamin D, it is better to use Vitamin D supplements year-round — something in the range of 600-800 IU is a good benchmark – rather than risking unprotected sun exposure.

• People exposed to the sun at higher altitudes, such as skiers, are receiving more UV exposure than people at lower altitudes and should protect themselves accordingly.

• Skiers, boaters, swimmers and fishers are all more susceptible to sun damage because they are both in the direct path of the sun and receive significant UV exposure from light reflecting off snow or water. Many people describe receiving a windburn from such outdoor activities when what they have is a sunburn.

• People who swim outdoors should seriously consider a special swimming shirt — like a rash guard or board shirt that surfers use — made from swimsuit fabric with SPF.

Remember to check your skin monthly for skin cancer using the ABCDE rule. Our warm weather season is short, and it’s important to enjoy the outdoors. The point isn’t to be sun-scared — just stay sun-safe.